Gaullism

Gaullism is a conservative political ideology in France that originated with Free French leader Charles de Gaulle, the leader of France from 1958 to 1969. From 1946 to 1958, Gaullists criticized the unstable parliamentary government of France in favor of a presidential system, and they admired Louis XIV of France, Napoleon, and Georges Clemenceau for creating a strong French state. Gaullists had pragmatic ideologies, favoring leftist foreign policies and conservative social policies; under De Gaulle, Algerian independence was recognized, France expelled NATO troops from the country and withdrew its troops from NATO military operations, Gaullists criticized the role of the US dollar in the international monetary system, France established diplomatic relations with communist China earlier than other Western countries, the government began an embargo against Israel in 1967, and Gaullists criticzed American imperialism in the Third World. However, Gaullists supported a centralized government, privatization of key industries, and assimilation policies, banning the wearing of the Muslim female headscarf in 2004. Today, The Republicans party follows Gaullism.